Hemming and button sewing modules



Dec. 9,1969 0. B. REID :rAL

HEMMING AND BUTTON SEWING MODULES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1968 Ben 6. Feu/ing BYW 3. 6w ATTORNEY Dec 9. 1969 o. a. REID EI'AL H EMMING AND BUTTON SEWING MODULES Filed March 18, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet z M 9 .S m RRM Y m M NB .R Mm m 2 W s N2; B a v 8. a? q 4. m 5 2 m w fim g w w u an n a 8 ll E Li W 3 WI TNESS 6. B. REID ETAL HEMMING AND BUTTON SEWING MODULES I De'c. 9, 1969 5 MM t e wRw & N F m 06 md n #6 s 05 5 8 6 9 1 a 1 h C r a M d e ,1 1 F.

ATTORNEY HEMMING AND BUTTON SEWING MODULES Filed March 18, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I68 I64 I82 I M I wfg R -d v ran e1 WITNESS Ber! G. Feuling A TTORNEY Dec. 9, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 13, I968.

a w 9.. U 6 no 4 Q5. 8 m wa n dG m .2 m f wi r 1 w 0 1 2 mm m n F 2 6\Y 4 4 BY ATTORA IE Y United States Patent 3,482,540 HEMMING AND BUTTON SEWING MODULES Orland B. Reid, Kenilworth, and Bert G. Feuling, Whippany, N.J., assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 713,712 Int. Cl. D!) 3/14, 23/00 US. Cl. 112265 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus by which a piece, such as a shirt front, is passed along a prescribed line of feed for hemming and sewing of a plurality of buttons thereon. The piece is fed tail end first to be hemmed and thereafter the piece is turned over so that the buttons are sewn successively from the collar end.

In order to accommodate the wide range of both natural and synthetic materials a hold down means or guide finger may be selectively actuated to assist in the hemming operation. Other guiding devices may be used to aid in the button sewing operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention a mechanism and method has been provided whereby a piece is passed along a prescribed line of feed to be successively hemmed and have a plurality of buttons sewn thereon. The piece is folded prior to hemming thereof, and subsequently turned over whereby the trailing end becomes the leading end.

Thereafter a plurality of buttons are sewn on to the hemmed portion of the piece in an indexed sequence.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved hemming and button sewing module which overcomes the prior art disadvantages; which is automatically operated; which is simple, economical and reliable; which includes one or more guide devices to aid in the automatic operation of the module; which permits the piece to be initially fed at the tail end for hemming thereof and subsequently turned over so as to present the collar end for button sewing in an indexed sequence, which includes feeding means actuated on completion of the turning of the piece, and, which has a shut off device for the module that operates whenever the supply of buttons is exhausted.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the novel hemming and button sewing module,

FIG. '2 is a top plan view of the improved module,

3,482,540 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view looking at the front of the improved module,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the pneumatic hold down means in a raised position prior to operation thereof,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspectve view of the pneumatic hold down means in operative position, yieldably engaging the work supporting surface,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the turning mechanism subsequent to the piece having been turned and prior to the mechanism endless belt feeding means becoming operative,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the turning mechanism in its unoperative position and the feeding means passing the turned piece to the buttonsewer or assembly,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of the shut-off device in an unoperated position with the associated button clamping jaws shown holding a button therein; in addition, guide means are shown adjacent the jaws,

FIG. 9 is an enlarged top plan view of the shut-off device in operated position with the associated button clamping jaws shown in the position they assume in the absence of a button therebetween,

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevational view of the shut-off device shown in FIG. 8; in addition a portion of the upper and lower guide means are shown guiding a piece therebetween.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the novel hemming and button sewing module, designated generally as 20, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The module is mounted on a frame 22 and includes a hemmer assembly 24, a transfer assembly 26, a feed assembly 28, a buttonsewer assembly 30, separate guide assemblies 32 and 34 located adjacent the hemmer and buttonsewer assemblies, respectively, and a separate stacker 36 for collection of the completed pieces. In addition, control boards 38 and 38a have many of the operator actuated controls connected in parallel to effect control of suitable electric or pneumatic control circuits (not shown) which will act separately or in combination to operate said module 20 in a single cycle to automatically fold and stitch a hem upon the manually fed piece such as a shirt front, and thereafter, transfer and feed the hemmed shirt front to the buttonsewer wherein a plurality of buttons will be accurately stitched onto the shirt front, after which the shirt front will be automatically collected at the stacker.

The frame 22, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, is made of two interconnected tables, namely, a hemmer table 40 for the hemmer assembly 24, and a transfer table 42 upon which substantially the remainder of the module 20 is mounted. The tables 40 and 42 have work supporting surfaces 44 and 46, respectively. The work supporting surfaces 44 and 46 each lie in a horizontal plane with the surface 44 slightly higher than the surface 46. A predetermined line of feed 50 extends across the work supporting surfaces 44 and 46 to generally define the direction along which the shirt fronts 80 will pass. To aid in the travel of the shirt front an upturned edge 52 is mounted upon the work supporting surface 44 downstream of the hemmer assembly 24 and parallel to the line of feed 50. An upturned edge 54 is connected to the surface 46 of the transfer table 42 parallel to the line of feed 50 and slightly set back from the upturned edge 52 on the hemmer table 40.

A gap 56 is formed between the two tables 40 and 42 substantially perpendicular to the line of feed 50. The gap 56 leads to an enlarged opening 58, the bottom of which is closed by a metal sheet 60 fixedly connected 3 to the table 40, and releasably connected to the table 42 by a hooked chain 62.

The buttonsewer assembly 30 includes a modified space-a-button unit 64 that has an automatic button feeding device 66 associated therewith. The unit 64 and the device 66 may be of the general type shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 3,329,110 granted July 4, 1967.

Switch 68 operates the pneumatic transmitter 70 of the hemming assembly 24, and switch 72 actuates the motor of the space-a-button unit 64. The switches 68 and 72 are shown in the on position in FIG. 3. Photoelectric cells 74, 76 and 78 are suitably connected in circuit to initiate and control the operation of the hemming assembly 24, the transfer assembly 26 the buttonsewer assembly 30 of the module 20. In addition a plurality of sequentially operated switches, also in circuit are provided as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The operator will load a shirt front 80 into the hemfold guide 82 thus covering the light source of the photoelectric cell 74. To initiate the automatic cycle for the module 20 a cycle arming button 84 located at the front control panel 38 is pressed. Since the control panel 38a substantially duplicates the panel 38, for present purposes only the front panel 38 need be referred to. However, the actual start of the cycle occurs when a job button 86 is pressed resulting in the operation of a lock stitch hemmer sewing machine 88, which may be of any conventional design, as for example, that shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,848,964, granted Aug. 26, 1958.

Associated with the hemfold guide 82 is a guide assembly 32 which includes a pneumatic device or OB. finger 90, and air guides 92 and 94. The air guide 94 has a transversely disposed tube 94a with openings through which air is blown in the downstream direction of the line of feed 50. The air guide 92 is connected to a source of pressure air connected through operator actuated switch 96 to blow to blow air into the longitudinal opening of the hemmer to assist in preventing unrufiling of the shirt front 80 therein.

The pneumatic device or O.B. finger 90 is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, and is operator actuated by a switch 98. The O.B. finger" 90 has a line 100 which will deliver pressurized air from a suitable source to the upper end of air cylinder 102. A frame 104 is connected to the surface 44 of the table 40 and holds the air cylinder so that the longitudinal axis thereof is disposed in a vertical line. The air cylinder 102 is disposed in superposition to the shirt front 80 and in spaced relation to the hemfold guide 82. A rod 106 extends outwardly of the lower end of air cylinder 102 with the upper end thereof connected to a spring biased piston (not shown) in the conventional manner. The lower end of rod 106 is threaded to receive a pair of jam nuts 108 between which is clamped portion 110 of a guide bar 112 is locked. A contact finger 114 bends downwardly and away from the portion 110 to extend in the downstream direction of and parallel to the line of feed 50. The contact finger may be set at a slight incline so that the end thereof adjacent the portion 110 is at a greater vertical distance from the surface 44 than the end remote from the portion 110 when the guide bar 112 is in the unoperated position shown in FIG. 4. The guide bar 112 is made of a resilient metal or plastic, so as the yieldably engage the work supporting surface 44, and the contact finger 114 will assume a horizontal position upon said surface, as illustrated in FIG. 5, upon operation of the air cylinder 102. The amount of pressure exerted by the guide bar 112 upon the shirt front 80 may be selectively adjusted to suit the particular material being sewn, and the adjustment may be made in one of three ways. Firstly, since the contact finger 114 yieldably engages the surface 44, raising or lowering of the air cylinder 102 to which the guide bar 112 is attached will result in a respective decrease or increase of pressure exerted by the guide bar 112 as the movement of rod remains constant. The effective vertical position of the air cylinder 102 may be changed by loosening of the screw 116 that engages the wrap around end of the frame 104 so as to raise or lower the air cylinder 102. Secondly, changing of vertical position of the clamped portion of the guide bar 112 by suitably turning the jam nuts 108 will effect a raising or lowering of the guide bar 112 so as to produce the same results as the first adjustment. Thirdly, a pressure regulator valve (not shown) may be connected into the line 100 so that the pressure exerted by the guide bar 112 may be directly adjusted.

Once the jog button 86 is pressed and released the sewing machine 88 will continue to operate until a predetermined time after the light source of the photoelectric cell 74 is uncovered so that as the hem is stitched the shirt front 80 will cover the light source of the photoelectric cell 76. The sewing machine 88 is timed to stop with the end of the shirt front 80 under the back edge of a presser foot 118.

The hem fold guide 82 may be of any type, as for example, one which makes a top fold, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The shirt front 80 is fed into the hem fold guide 82 tail end first. As the hem is being stitched by the sewing machine 88 the tail end 120 passes over the downstream edge of the work supporting surface 44 to enter the gap 56 in timed relationship to the operation of an air blow down tube 122 that directs a blast of air into the gap 56 to insure that the tail end 120 will drop into the opening 58 and not cross the gap 56 to enter upon the work supporting surface 46. The air blast from blow down 122 is of short duration and lasts only long en ugh to insure that the direction of travel of the tail end 120 is toward the opening 58.

The operator will load the next piece 80 into the hem fold guide 82, the loading of which acts to cover the light source of the photoelectric cell 74, as will the loading of each successive piece 80. The operator actuated jog button 86 is pressed and released to start the sewing machine 88 to stitch the hem on the just loaded piece, and each succeeding piece thereafter. A rotary feed 124 is associated with the sewing machine 88 and has a feed wheel 126, positioned downstream of the presser foot 118 that operates to pass the pieces 80 along the line of feed 50 simultaneously with the operation of the sewing machine 88. The operation of the feed wheel 126 passes the first piece 80 sufiiciently along the line of feed to uncover the light source of the photoelectric cell 76 which acts to operate the impact cutter 128 located immediately downstream of the rotary feed 124 as shown in FIG. 1. The impact cutter 128 will cut the chain of stitches trailing from the collar end of the piece 80, thus separating it from the next piece upstream therefrom.

Actuation of the photoelectric cell 76 also sets in motion the clamping means 130 of the transfer assembly 26, best illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The clamping means 130 is connected to the outer end of a piston shaft 132 extending from an air cylinder 134, and mounted to a bracket 136 for movement in a horizontal plane. The air cylinder 134 has air delivered to one end or the other thereof for selectively advancing or retracting the clamping means 130. The clamping means 130 is connected to the bracket 136 on the underside of the work supporting surface 46 adjacent the gap 56, and is normally in a retracted position as shown in FIG. 7. On actuation of the transfer assembly 26 the clamping means 130 will move across the gap 56 to engage the edge of the table 40 and clamp the down turned piece 80 thereto.

A switch 138 is connected adjacent the edge of the table 40 and has an actuating finger 140 normally extending into the gap 56 through a slot 141 formed in said edge. On the feed clamp 130 engaging the edge of the table 40 the finger 140 will be shifted to actuate the air cylinder 142 which carries a transfer arm 144 on the outer end of the shaft thereof. The transfer arm 144 extends over one side of the table 42, in cantilevered fashion, in the direction of the upturned edge 54. The transfer arm 144 is substantially perpendicular to the line of feed 50 and is disposed with the horizontal feed portion thereof in abutment with and at a height substantially equal to the work supporting surface 44 at the downstream edge thereof. The horizontal feed portion of the transfer arm 44 is normally disposed slightly above the work supporting surface 46 to permit its passing thereover. A vertical portion of the transfer arm 144 extends upwardly from its connection with the shaft of the air cylinder 142 and has connected intermediate thereto a carriage frame 146 journaled for sliding upon a fixed bar support 148.

The hemmed piece 80, illustrated in FIG. 1, has passed over the downstream edge of the table 40 and the transfer arm 144 into the opening 58. After actuation of the photoelectric cell 76 the hemmed piece 80 as shown in FIG. 6 will be clamped by the clamping means 130 against the downstream edge of the table 40. On actuation of the air cylinder 142 by the operation of the switch 138 the transfer arm will be drawn from its normal gap edge position to travel in the downstream direction of the line of feed 50, and thus, across the work supporting surface 46. The horizontal feed portion of the transfer arm 144 travels in a horizontal plane and as it passes, the

piece 80, held adjacent the tail end 120 thereof by the clamping means 130, is drawn upon the work supporting surface 46 with the collar end 150 now on the downstream side of the line of feed 50. In effect, the piece 80 has been turned over so that the tail end 120 which was the leading end is now the trailing end, and the top folded portion that was hemstitched by the sewing machine 88 now lies as an underfold adjacent the upturned edge 54. An extension bar 152 is mounted on the carriage frame 146 to activate a switch 154 shown in FIG. 2, at the downstream end of the travel of the transfer arm 144 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

Actuation of the switch 154 causes a normally upwardly spring biased plunger 156 to be driven downwardly against the surface 46 to clamp the shirt front 80 against said surface. The travel of the transfer arm 144 will bring it in line with the plunger 156 but the horizontal feed portion of arm 144 is recessed, as shown in FIG. 2, near its outer end to permit the plunger 156 to contact the surface 46 by passing through said recess. The actuation of the switch 154 also will effect the restoration of the clamping means 130 and the transfer arm 144 to their respective unoperated positions as illustrated in FIG. 7. The clamping means 130, the transfer arm 144, the plunger 156 and the associated mechanisms and actuation elements thereof coact to define a transfer assembly 26.

The actuation of the switch 154 will initiate the operation of the feeding assembly 28, and a plurality of air jets 158 having nozzle means 160 disposed parallel to the line of feed 50 in spaced relationship to each other to direct air along the surface 46 in the downstream direction of the line of feed 50.

The feeding assembly 28, illustrated in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, includes a support bracket 162 having an arm 164 which carries a switch 166 at one end thereof and an air cylinder 168 at the other end thereof. A belt drive frame 170 carries a drive shaft 172 suitably journaled in support bracket 162 and connected to be driven by a suitable drive means (not shown) rendered operational upon the actuation of the switch 154. A pulley 174 is mounted within the frame 170 upon the shaft 172 and is connected by an endless belt 176 to an idler pulley 178 disposed at the opposite end of the belt drive frame 170. The endless belt 176 extends outwardly from the open bottom of the frame 170. The drive shaft 172 and the associated endless belt 176 will rotate in a clockwise direction so that upon engagement with the surface 46 the shirt front will be fed along the line of feed 50 in a downstream direction. The drive frame 170 is pivotable about the axis of the drive shaft 172, and carries an upwardly bent plate 180 at the pivotable end thereof. The feed assembly 28 as illustrated in FIG. 6, is normally in a substantially horizontal position which position is maintained by air being continuously discharged from a nozzle 182 to blow against the bent free end of the plate 180 thereby preventing the unsupported end of the frame 170 from dropping onto the surface 46. When the switch 154 is actuated the drive shaft 172 begins to rotate but the frame 170 does not pivot as air will continue to be discharged through the nozzle 182 of the air tube 168 for a few seconds until a delayed shut off (not shown) operates. Thus, the endless feed belt 176 remains out of contact with the surface 46 until the air supply is shut off at which time the frame 170 will pivot counterclockwise to swing the free end and belt 176 against the surface 46 and begin to feed the shirt front in the direction of the buttonsewer assembly 30. Upon the free end of the frame being swung downwardly the plate will be shifted to a position substantially vertically above the axis of the drive shaft 172, thus, forcing the nozzle 182 into the air cylinder 168 and, als, actuating the switch 166. Actuation of the switch 166 will cut off the air supply to the plunger 166 and result in its being restored to a raised position, as shown in FIG. 7.

The air jets 160 will aid the endless feed belt 176 in moving the shirt front 80 along the line of feed 50 and help guide the piece to the buttonsewer assembly 30 until the light source of the photoelectric cell 78 is covered to affect raising and stopping of the feed assembly 28 and a shut off of the air being supplied to the air jets 160. The photoelectric cell 78, as shown in the FIGURE 1, is positioned slightly upstream of a buttonsewer machine 190, which machine may be of any conventional design, as for example, that shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,009,560, granted July 30, 1935.

The buttonsewer machine includes a button clamping mechanism, designated generally 192, which mechanism will be shown and described generally in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, with the subject matter thereof depicted in detail only insofar as it relates to the present invention. For a more detailed description and understanding of the buton clamping mechanism 192 reference may be had to U.S. Patent No. 2,509,619, granted May 30, 1950, which shows one type of a conventional design thereof.

In addition, the photoelectric cell 78 will actuate a bar clamp 194 of the space-a-button unit 64 which acts to clamp the collar end 150 of the shirt front 80 against the drum 196 which drum thereafter is indexed to the first button position by turning through a predetermined distance in a counterclockwise direction, resulting in the actuation of a switch 198 mounted to the frame 22 adjacent the drum 196 that is normally held in a de-activated position by a cam 200 mounted on the rotary portion of the drum 196, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The actuation of the switch 198 effects a shut off of the air Supply to an air cylinder 202 which normally holds a plow guide 204 in a raised position. The plow guide 204 has a counter-balanced plow arm 210 raisable by the air cylinder 202 and lowered by gravity upon being released from its raised position. A loosely connected plow member 212 is mounted at the end of the arm 210- ad jacent the sewing machine 190, and is inclined in the downstream direction of the line of feed 50.

A height guide member 208, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 10 is pivotally connected to the upturned edge 54 at the downstream end thereof by a shoulder screw 214 so as to permit the passage of various thicknesses of the shirt fronts 80 thereunder. The height guide member 208 has a vertical leg 216 and a horizontal leg 218- that is disposed under and slightly behind the jaws 220' of the button clamping mechanism 192. The legs 216 and 218 extend from a tapered portion 222 that rises upwardly toward the pivotable connection of the height guide member 208. The vertical leg 216 serves as an extension of the up turned edge 54, and the horizontal leg 218 though verti- 7 cally shiftable limits the height of the shirt front 30. Member 208 serves to flatten the shirt front 80 so that a button transfer arm 224 can pass over the shirt front 80 and under the jaws 220 to deliver a button 226 that is subsequently seized by the jaws 220 without interference from the shirt front 80.

The upper guide, designated generally as 230, includes either the plow guide 204, or the height guide member 208, or both.

A lower guide, designated generally as 232, coacts with the upper guide 230 for positioning and guiding each of the successive shirt fronts 80, and combines therewith to define the guide assembly 34.

The lower guide 232 includes a horizontal plate 206 illustrated in FIGS. 2, 9 and 10, that has a cut away leading edge that extends over the downstream edge of the transfer table 42 onto the drum 196 of the space-a-button unit 64. The guide plate 206 has a straight edge 234 spaced from the vertical upturned edge 54 and disposed parallel to the line of feed 50. The guide plate 206 is connected in a slot in the transfer table 42 and suitably attached to the underside thereof so that the main portion of the guide plate extends along the surface 46 to form an extra thickness on the surface 46 of the table 42. The distance from the vertical edge 54 to the straight edge 234 is predetermined to be equal to or slightly larger than the width of the hem on the shirt front 80 so that the underfold thereof will lie between the vertical edge 54 and the straight edge 234. In other words, there is a guide channel 236 formed between upturned edge 54 and the straight edge 234 into which the underfold of the shirt front 80 enters as it is delivered along the line of feed 50 by the feeding assembly 28, and the associated air jets 160.

Once the underfold is in the guide channel 236, the shirt front is positively restrained against possible misalignment prior to delivery to the buttonsewer assembly 30. To faciiltate the entrance of the underfold at the collar end 150 of the shirt front 80 into the channel 236 both the plow guide 204 and the height guide member 208 are provided with funnel-like inlets. The guide plate 206 does not interfere with feeding the shirt front 80 to the buttonsewer assembly 30, and cooperates with the upper guides 230, particularly, the plow guide 204 and to a somewhat lesser extent the height guide member 208, each of which lightly press upon the shirt front 80 to aid in keeping the underfold thereof in the channel 236.

Once the bar clamp 194 seizes the collar end 150 of the shirt front 80 to the drum 1% indexes the shirt front 80 into the first button position. The usual shirt front 80 will have five equally spaced buttons sewn thereon in the manner substantially set forth in US. No. 3,329,110.

The actuation of the photoelectric cell 78 will effect shut olf of the air jets 160, and stopping of the drive motor rotating the shaft 172 and the endless belt 176, and reactivate the nozzle 182 of the air cylinder 168 to raise the belt drive frame 150 to its horizontal unoperative position, as shownin FIG. 6. The drum 196 will automatically be indexed through the five successive button sewing operations, having the buttons automatically furnished from the button reserve of the button feeding device 66 and to the button clamping jaws 220 to be successively sewn onto the shirt front 80 by the automatic operation of the 'buttonsewer machine 190.

A suitable time delay is provided in the circuit of the module to permit actuation of a safety shut off device 250 which is set off as a result of there being no button between the jaws 220 so that said jaws close beyond the point of normal clamping. The clamping jaws 220 are connected by suitable linkage means 252 which are operable by means (not shown) which open the jaws 220 prior to seizing the button, and release the same to permit calmping of the button 226 for the sewing operation, and threafter, release the sewn button 226. An arm 254 is connected to the linkage means 252 for movement perpendicular to the line of feed 50 in conjunction with the opening and the closing of the button clamping jaws 220. The free end of the arm 254 is bent vertically upwardly and positioned behind a switch 256 having a switching element 258 facing the vertical portion of the arm 254, as illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. Opening of the jaws 220 results in the arm 254 moving in the direction away from the switch 256, and closing of the jaws 220 causes the arm 254 to move toward the switch 256. The distance of travel of arm 254 is set so that upon the jaws 220 closing upon the button 226 the vertical portion of the arm 254 remains out of contact with the switching element 258. The switch 256 is connected in circuit in a normally closed position which allows the automatic cycling of the module 20. However, upon the clamping jaws 220 closing with no button present, the vertical portion of the arm 254 will engage the switching element 258 to actuate the switch 256 which acts to open the circuit of the module 20, resulting in a shut down of the module 20. The absence of a button in the jaws 220 indicates a malfunction or an exhaustion of the supply thereof, and in any event, will signal the operator to investigate and correct the cause of the shut down.

There is a predetermined time delay between the button feeding device 66 being signaled to feed a button 226, via the button transfer arm 224, to the clamps 220, and the operation of the button sewer machine 190 so that before the operation of said machine commences the time elapsed would permit the safety set off device 250 to have operated. If a button 226 is present in the jaws 220 the cycle of the module 20 continues uninterrupted. However, if no button is present the jaws 220 will close to activate the switch 256, and thus, shut down the module 20 before the operation of the buttonsewer machine 190 commences.

The space-a-button unit 64 will control the sewing operation of the buttons upon the shift front 80. After the last button is sewn the shirt front will automatically be delivered to the stacker 36 for collection therein in a suitable manner well known in the art. The operation of the stacker is initiated by a earn 260 mounted upon the drum 196 in line with a switch (not shown) that controls the stacker motor 262. The cam is normally out of engagement with the switch and upon rotation of the drum to the position of the last button to be sewn the cam will engage the switch to effect the operation of the stacker motor 262. Prior to this and in order to assure proper delivery of the shirt front to the stacker 36 an elongated cam 264, mounted adjacent and inwardly to the cam 260 will engage a switch (not shown) to effect the delivery of air to a stationary tube 266 positioned to pneumatically assist in the shirt front being transferred off of the rotary drum 196 onto the stacker 36.

As the completed shirt front 80 is stacked the light source of the photoelectric cell 78 is uncovered and the drum 196 continues to rotate until it returns to its start position where it will stop.

Upon the completion of the stacking operation the motor 262 is shut off by a switch (not shown). Return of the drum 196 to its starting position results in the cam 200 engaging the switch 198 to effect operation of the air cylinder 202 and cause the plow guide 204 to be raised above the surface 46. Hence, the buttonsewer assembly 30 is in position for the start of a new cycle.

Suitable manual controls, are illustrated in FIG. 3 at the control panel 38, such as a stop button 270, a raise feed button 272 for the feeding assembly 228, a control button 274 for the button feeding device 66 to permit the feeding of single buttons, and a control switch 276 which may be set selectively for either manual feeding or automatic feeding of the buttons from the button feeding devices 66.

Furthermore the control board 38a, shown in FIG. 1, may include a power on light 280 which indicates when the module 20 has been turned on, and a light 282 which operates to automatically signal a malfunction related to the buttonsewer or when no buttons are present in the button reserve of the button feeding device 66. Suitable additional controls and switches are, or may be, provided to insure the automatic operation of the hemming and button sewing module 20 as set forth hereinbefore.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, arrangements of parts and operating conditions which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is:

1. A method of successively hemming and button sewing of a piece being passed along a prescribed line of feed, comprising the steps of:

(a) folding a marginal portion of the piece upon the remainder thereof along a line parallel to the line of feed,

(b) hemming the folded piece,

(0) turning the hemmed piece over along the line of feed whereby the trailing end becomes the leading end and the folded portion of the piece lies on the underside thereof, and

(d) sewing a plurality of buttons onto the hemmed portion of the piece along the line of feed.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the folding of the piece includes:

(a) yieldably holding the piece by a selectively operated guide finger to prevent unrufiling of the fold.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the turning of the piece includes:

(a) clamping the leading edge of the hemmed piece,

and

(b) passing a transfer arm along the line of feed underneath the piece to increasingly shift the piece away from the clamped end thereof and turn the same.

4. The method claimed in claim 1 for the piece with a tail end and a collar end wherein:

(a) passing the tail end of the piece along the line of feed to be hemmed in advance of the collar end,

(b) turning the hemmed piece so that the collar end becomes the leading end of the piece, and

(c) sewing a plurality of buttons from the collar end in a predetermined indexed sequence.

5. The method claimed in claim 4 wherein after the piece has been turned the method includes the additional step of:

(a) guiding the piece along the prescribed line of feed by engagement with upper and lower guide members.

6. A method of successively sewing opposite sides of a piece being passed along a prescribed line of feed, comprising the steps of:

(a) performing a first sewing operation on the piece with one side thereof facing upwardly, as said piece is passed along the line of feed,

(b) turning the piece over as said piece is passed along the line of feed, and

(c) performing a second sewing operation on the piece with the other side thereof facing upwardly, as said piece is passed along the line of feed.

7. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein the turning of the piece includes:

(a) holding the leading edge of the piece at a fixed point along the line of feed,

(b) advancing the trailing edge of the piece past the held leading edge thereof to effect turning of said piece as the piece is passed along the line of feed whereby former trailing edge becomes the new leading edge of the piece, and

(c) releasing the held edge of the turned piece.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,345,965 10/1967 Gore 1l22 RICHARD J. SCANLAN, In, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 1l22 

